Rugby World Cup 2015 Kicks Off Tomorrow, Marking 20 Years of Heineken® Sponsorship

Rugby World Cup 2015 Kicks Off Tomorrow, Marking 20 Years of Heineken® Sponsorship

17th September 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015 kicks off tomorrow evening with England taking on Fiji at Twickenham. Heineken®, as a Worldwide Partner, is proud to open this exciting event. Sponsorship is a key part of Heineken’s marketing strategy and the brand has a long-standing involvement with Rugby at the highest level through sponsorship of the Heineken Cup, European Rugby Champions Cup and Rugby World Cup.

Heineken® will open Rugby World Cup 2015 with a multi-platform campaign, headed by a ‘who’s who’ of seven rugby legends including Jonah Lomu, John Smit, Will Carling and Matt Dawson. Heineken® is giving 48 prize winners from across the globe the opportunity to open a Rugby World Cup 2015 match by attending the official coin toss prior to kick off. Additionally, Heineken® will be brining fans across the world closer to the action through social media content offering an alternative perspective on Rugby World Cup 2015 from the Heineken Rugby Legends.

Rugby World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the UK this year, with 2.3 million tickets sold*. In total, Rugby World Cup is expected to reach a global audience of 4 billion people. Total spend in the stadiums is predicted to be £13 million and an additional £5 million is predicted to be spent in the Rugby World Cup FanZones which will be erected in each of the 11 host cities*. This event is set to have a strong impact on the UK economy, delivering nearly £1 billion of additive value into the UK economy and attracting 466,000 international visitors*.

Commenting on the sponsorship, David Forde, UK Managing Director, Heineken said: “This is a hugely exciting event for our business, the UK economy and – of course – worldwide rugby fans. As a truly world class sporting event, Rugby World Cup is a perfect fit with the Heineken® brand. We have a great campaign in place which will maximise the impact of this sponsorship and help us to reach as many consumers as possible.”

Heineken’s sponsorship of Rugby World Cup 2015 is supported by a global media campaign, stretching across Out of Home, print, digital and television – with Heineken’s legends, Jonah Lomu

and John Smit appearing in a television commercial themed around the official coin toss. You can see the ad here. Heineken® has also produced over 10 million special edition bottles and cans to mark the event. You can find out more information about Heineken’s campaign around Rugby World Cup 2015 at www.heineken.com/rugbyor follow @heineken #ItsYourCall.